


there is no sweeter innocence (then our gentle sin).

by flustraaa



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (author cannot spell bisexysual), (dont worry they get the naps), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Disaster Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Zuko (Avatar), Couch Cuddles, Gen, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Zuko, Sokka (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Sokka needs a nap, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Zuko (Avatar) Deserves Nice Things, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko Needs a Nap, Zuko has anxiety, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), author is totally not projecting her real life experiences, cinnamon rolls— they are all cinnamon rolls, katara is a good friend and sister don’t sleep on her, no beta we die like jet, sleepy sokka, sokka (avatar) deserves nice things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flustraaa/pseuds/flustraaa
Summary: zuko doesn’t know much, but he does know the deepest darkest secrets of his universe... and that had to count for something, right?(or,zuko’s guide to the secrets of the universe (and sokka).
Relationships: Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 109





	there is no sweeter innocence (then our gentle sin).

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! hello!! i hope you are having a wonderful day!! this is your reminder that you are enough and deserve nice things!!

In the moments that pass with each drifting second, each fleeting moment, and every new year— Zuko comes to learn more about the secrets of his universe.

He learns about the constellations in the sky, while his universe teeters precariously on the brink of sober and high— he learns how to breathe without thinking that he’s wasting air.

More than anything, Zuko learns little things about his world— compartmentalising them as he commits them to memory, and tries to connect the freckles on his cheeks to the constellations on the sky— mapping stories about his wishes and dreams as his life passes.

It’s the little moments he’ll remember, when they’re old and grey— and the idea that he’ll be able to to grow old— let alone with someone else, is what makes it something else. 

His three favourite points to remember, as he slowly wakes himself to find his other half snoring beside him- or on rare occasion, carefully admiring Zuko’s own features is something else.

And these gentle memories are as follows:

_** i. ** _

* * *

The thing about falling in dreams, is that Zuko never really realises it’s happening until he’s jolting out of slumber— catching the breath he lost just before his back could hit a harsh ground that never existed at all.

The same is true for falling in love with his best friend— he doesn’t realise it at first.

Not when Sokka starts saving Zuko’s go-to orders and favourite in his notesapp page labelled: _Sparky_ , and not when he no longer has to check his phone to know exactly what Zuko needs.

He doesn’t feel himself falling when he wakes up to Sokka not much more awake then him, telling him they fell asleep during Die Hard and that he knows Zuko will bitch about his back hurting for the next three days. He doesn’t fall in love when he wakes up on Sokka’s sound asleep form over the couch, while the end credits roll— or when Sokka shoves his way into Zuko’s chest after a nightmare.

He doesn’t fall in love during their three in the morning conversations on the floor, staring up at the stupid neon green glow-in-the-dark stars with blue putty poking through even as they shine, and he doesn’t fall in love when Sokka helps him brush his teeth when he gets drunk on the six year anniversary of his scar.

He doesn’t fall in love with him when Sokka tells him his tragic backstory™ of his mother dying, and a few years later his first girlfriend as well— nor does he fall in love with him when all Sokka can respond to the story of Zuko’s wrecked face is a breathy, “Fuck, dude. Do you need a hug?” 

For a long time he thought it was the day Sokka had pulled an all nighter for his Advanced Calc class (even when he probably didn’t have to), and then remembered halfway back to his dorm he was supposed to meet Zuko in the law library. 

To this day, Zuko remembers Sokka’s stupid cute skateboard hanging from his fingertips— his old Hockey long sleeve covering the top of his joggers. 

“Shit, Zuko, I’m sorry. I swear—“ he’d taken a deep breath when he caught sight of the amused smile on his friends face, a smile of his own appearing as Zuko passed him a cup of Jasmine tea across the table. 

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Zuko had murmured softly, a glare lacking any heat attached. “I need you for this physics assignment.”

(he doesn’t. he just wanted an excuse to see the boy he’s had a crush on for months). 

“Aye, aye, captain,” Sokka had responded, taking a long sip of the tea, “I will be right here. Super-duper wide awake.” 

It had taken three minutes for Sokka to cross his arms over his chest, backpack tossed by his feet and tea half consumed. 

It was only four more before his head had dropped to his chest, and quiet snuffles had begun to fill the space between. 

Zuko had let out a quiet chuckle, staring at his roommate before slowly gathering his things and stirring Sokka from his nap. 

“What— Zukes, I’m up! I’m up.”

Zuko had only shaken his head, and together they’d walked back to their shitty dorm in complete silence. Sokka had wholly taken advantage of Zuko’s kindness, flopping face down into his stupidly cute penguin pillow pet, with annoyingly adorable snores following soon in suit. 

It’s only now, as he lies with Sokka on their shitty couch in their first not-so-home, in a college town that he comes to the earth shattering conclusion that he’s been in love with Sokka since their fifth date— when Sokka had promised to stay awake, and against all odds, held up his end of the bargain. 

It was the moment that Zuko opened his eyes blearily, blinking away the exhaustion to realise that he was quite literally laying on Sokka’s lap in the back corner of the library. 

Cautious fingers were threading through his hair, messily stressing it out of his bun that was anything but immaculate before his best friend (boyfriend?) got ahold of it. 

“Oh, hey there, Sunshine,” his— his Sokka had murmured, dropping the textbook in his other hand, “I was wondering when you were going to wake up.” 

He must’ve been expressing the confusion flowing throughout his frame, but rather than getting frustrated, Sokka had only smiled at him like Zuko had hung the stars in the sky. 

“What time is it?” His mouth his dry, and his voice sounds like he’s swallowed glass— but against all odds, Sokka only seemed more enamoured, “how long was I out?” 

“Probably an hour and a half?” Sokka answered easily, squeezing his hand, “I would’ve woken you, but you looked really peaceful. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.” 

A moment passes, quiet heartbeats filling the space between as Zuko reaches for his water bottle, taking a silent sip as the boy above him watches in silence. 

“Do you wanna go home?” 

And— oh, _Agni_. The way Sokka had so calmly said home, like it was theirs and not just a building that they’d lived in together since they’d been randomly assigned as roommates freshman year.

“You with me, babe?” A quiet snort left Sokka’s lips, grin growing wider by the second as he had tucked the stray hairs from Zuko’s eyes, “I’m making the executive decision, you’re exhausted—“ 

“Sokka,” Zuko had mumbled, against his better judgement, “I love you.” 

A best of silence passed between them, trickling into two and soon three— Zuko’s heart had pounded in his chest and the inside of his cheek wound up in-between his teeth. 

“You don’t have to—“

“No,” Sokka breathes, prior laughing a bit breathlessly, “Ijust didn’t think you’d be the one to say it first. I love you, Zuko.” 

And maybe after that, they’d gone home and made out— or maybe not. The world may never know. 

Except for Suki, who had woken up to a gleefully panicked Sokka squeaking out that the boy he’d been pinning after since freshman year said the three words™.

Unbeknownst to him, Mai gets an equally enthusiastic recap from Zuko— but maybe, neither of them have to know. 

(Maybe they _already_ do).

_** ii. ** _

* * *

It’s clear to everyone that Zuko learns to love differently— he takes longer to reach the five normal love languages.

Initially, his love manages to escape his body in terms of small poetic offerings and quiet declarations, whispers of poetry and theatre and the art that drowns out the silenced he’s not quite ready to breech.

It starts with little quotes scrawled in surprisingly neat hand writing on sticky notes, taped to the mirrors, to tables— even once to Sokka’s forehead when he wakes after their first night together.

Soon after, had come the careful and sweet, “I was reading this poem, and it made me think of you.”

Not long before Zuko starts reading poetry and books and plays to Sokka before he falls asleep, and in the night he dreams of characters that he never would’ve known without his other half’s love for the written word.

And Sokka falls in more in love with every syllable. 

(Even in the dead of night when Zuko sends him a text saying:

this poem reminds me of you

 _“He visits my town once a year._  
_He fills my mouth with kisses and nectar._  
_I spend all my money on him._  
_Who, girl, your man?_  
_No, a mango.”_  
-amir khusrow). 

It’s not until Sokka, that Zuko realises that touch was never as overrated as his father taught him it was.

It’s not all shits a giggles to get from point A to point touchy-touchy, but sometimes, he thinks, that’s why it’s so important to him. Sokka always put effort into make sure Zuko was absolutely comfortable with where his hands were— and in the beginning, he’d boiled it down to the most basic fundamentals.

He’d hold out his hand, and wait for Zuko to take it— and if he couldn’t, Sokka would just send him an easy simper and tell him they could try again another time.

He thinks about the soft elbow touches, and wobbly smiles— the soft butterfly kisses (which were surprisingly nice), and the quiet pinky promises.

Now, when Sokka visits home or goes somewhere away— Zuko yearns for Sokka’s sleep-heavy arms draped around him as he faces the back of the couch and his quiet breaths fill the spaces between.

He longs for the delicate circles Sokka had started absently tracing into the small of his back with his nails, carefully mapped upon the ivory skin exposed between his old joggers— with the well-worn elastic, and one of Sokka’s 90s band shirts had parted.

He thinks about the greeting kisses that Sokka dips into the curve of his skin, where his neck meets his shoulder, trailing up to Zuko’s jaw as they wake up together.

And as he fell in love with Sokka, he remembers the day that he’d made his other half smile like a dopey idiot for a week.

His boyfriend had walked into their shitty little apartment and caught sight of Zuko on the couch mid-nap (“ _you were all domestic and shit, babe_ ”). From his recount, he’d kicked his black vans off at the door and smiled at the sight placed before him.

Zuko had been fast asleep on their couch, arms crossed over his chest and legs sprawled out— with one foot flat on the floor, and the other bent upwards on the couch.

“Hey, sweetheart?” Sokka had thought something was wrong, because a) Zuko was not a nap guy, b) he had hardly even stirred, and c) he rarely, if ever, slept on his back, let alone with his scar to the door. “Zuko, hey— oh, there you are. Good morning, Sunshine.” 

He’d blinked, grumpy at first, before the spirits decided to bless Sokka with a lazy smile gracing his sleepy idiot’s face, “It’s afternoon— I think.”

(Smartass, Sokka had thought, lovingly).

He’d thrown a quick glance at the clock, nodding in confirmation at the time— _12:36 pm_ , aureate eyes focusing on cerulean irises once again.

“I just wanted to check on you, are you feeling alright?” He’d narrowly suppressed the urge to feel Zuko’s forehead— damn Katara, for instilling a constant sense of motherly dread into him.

“M’great.” Zuko hummed contentedly, but when Sokka had risen to his feet to let his other half return back to his nap, his hand was wrapped around another’s, “will you lay on me, darling?”

Sokka had stood there for long enough, just gawking, that must’ve made Zuko panic at his own vulnerability, misinterpreting it for a misstep, “you don’t have to—“

“No, I— are you sure, love?” Zuko nodded, and his partner had looked so painfully adorable— Sokka swore to never tell him he had the puppy dog eyes mastered.

“I left my—“ He’d paused, yawning as Sokka pressed against him, wrapping around him like a snake around its prey, “I left my weighted blanket at my Uncle’s. I don’t think I need it when I have you.” 

Zuko’s anxiety had never been a question— and to be completely honest, his insomnia hadn’t either. They both remember the day that Aang had come by, with direct orders from one very concerned Katara, because Zuko looked half-dead and she wanted him to try borrowing her weighted blanket while she was on night shift rotations.

It hadn’t done much— but it had helped a little, and that’s all it took to convince Sokka that they needed one for their own room.

(Zuko hadn’t nearly cried at the gesture. Totally not. Brooding, mysterious Zuko would never).

“Is this good, baby?” It had only taken one glance to realise that Zuko was already back out, as quick as a light.

Sokka would be lying, if he said he didn’t join him soon after. 

_** iii. ** _

* * *

The final secret of the universe is simple, because the final secret is that Sokka Immaroitok is the love of Zuko’s life.

He falls in love every day— with every petulant fight about who actually at the last strawberry greek yogurt, with every look at the stars, with every shared hope, fear, and confession of love— Zuko falls in love a little more.

After five years, and so many more memories that Zuko would’ve ever hoped to have, he drops down on one knee in the freezing mountain air of Colorado.

The answer he gets, is not quite the one he expects— but is in no way,  less the one he had hoped for. Because in that moment, as he had gazed up at his other half; his shivering frame clad in a burgundy windbreaker, Sokka had blurted:

“No! Fuck you! This was supposed to be _my_ proposal destination!” He’d seen the blank stares from all of his friends, and before Katara could even consider cackling (like the witch that she is to her brother on occasion), he’d shoved his hand into his pocket and produced a black velvet box far too similar to the one in his boyfriend’s (fiancé’s?) hands.

“Sokka, say yes,” Zuko has dropped his head into his hands, desperately trying to shove down the emotions that threaten to break through his carefully constructed walls. “Please?”

“On three.”

And as expected, neither said yes and got in a borderline mirthful, and absolutely chaotic debate about who was going to accept the other’s proposal.

(Eventually they agree that they’ll put the rings on, on the count of three— and yes. Aang shows the video to literally everyone they’ve ever met. This includes the— well, actually kind of excited waitress at Olive Garden).

They spend that night in the mountains, sitting on a log before canoodling in their shitty little tent, where a rock digs into Zuko’s side the entire night— all while Sokka snores in his ear.

And yeah, Zuko decides, as the very ass crack of dawn breaks through the sky and he mediates with Aang: he wouldn’t trade this for anything.

(And if Sokka and Katara take pictures of their two idiots mediating together for possibly the top five most scenic pictures on the holiday cards? Well, Aang and Zuko don’t have to know). 

**Author's Note:**

> this is absolutely me projecting a lot of my past encounters with various loves, as well as a lot of my own internal struggles. lolsies, im currently laying under a weighted blanket to quell my soul. i hope this came out well, i hope all of you had a wonderful day/night and i wish you the best of luck tomorrow :). drink water!! also!! im testing out a new format im very sorry please let me know how you feel about it!! also am literally staring at my glow in the dark stickers and realising that that feels like something sokka would be like “babe!! babe!! we need those!” so i am adding it now.


End file.
